A Brief Return to Pa-Auk Maymyo (pyin oo lwin).

In 2012 I had left my home at Nauyana, Sri Lanka to reconnect with my teacher Pa-Auk Saydawgyi in his spank’in new meditation center. It was built by a Myanmar Billionaire, and was still being finished as we were coming to the grand opening retreat.

The climate was nice and cool and the food was exceptional. However one of the faults was that it was really close to a major road, in a spot where the truck shift gears and accelerate. They can be very loud and the sounds bounce off of the walls of the village lined kuties (monk houses). When I saw Sayadawgyi he asked me what I thought of the new place. I said that every monastery has its faults but it is overall really good. Then I told him, “If anyone ever offers you more land, buy the land on this side of your kuti.” His kuti was quite far from the road, and “this side” was further away from the road. He said, “Who will be the donor?” and I didn’t know, but I continued.. “If anybody offers more land, tell them this side.”

Two months later 250 acres were offered. Then more donated land has been accumulated since then.

Now in 2017, “This new side” is where I am staying.

This is the picture of the new extension. I think you are looking at 15 to 20% of the combined land. The food is good, the kuties are good, the climate is good. The teachers are good. Everything is quite good about this new section. There is a waiting list to get in with special forms that need to be filled out. Don’t ask me how.

There are about 400 kuties for the new section alone. It takes about 30 minutes or more to walk to the old section on the new and full moon days. There was room for about 200 on the old monastery. That means that there is a big and new and up and coming monastery in the works. The reconnection of the two monasteries is sort of complete, but still not in full swing.

You can apply to stay at the following https://paauksociety.org/